Thanks to Patricia and Frogtown Green for helping make our front parking lot garden look better (especially this week in the high heat)! We are always grateful to our volunteers and the many ways they contribute to Mano a Mano.
About Frogtown Green
“Frogtown Green is a volunteer-powered, resident-led group that began with Frogtown Park & Farm. From 2009 to 2012, we campaigned for the preservation of 13 vacant acres in the middle of our neighborhood and its conversion into a public park with an urban farm. Since that success, we have created six more parklets and gardens; planted hundreds of trees; and 8,000 square feet of pollinator habitat; sponsored dozens of events, and collaborated with friends all over Saint Paul.”
Improving the Local Environment is a Huge Focus of Mano a Mano’s Local Programs
Mano a Mano started in 1994 with the goal of saving surplus medical supplies from the landfill in Minnesota and shipping them to Bolivia, where we knew these supplies were desperately needed and could be used immediately. We have shipped over 4 million pounds of medical supplies, mobility equipment, and other items to Bolivia over the past 28+ years; almost all of these supplies would have ended up in the trash in Minnesota.
Since moving into our Frogtown office/warehouse space 10 years ago, we have looked at and have implemented additional ways we can be more green and environmentally friendly:
- installing solar panels to our building (we produced 6,475,984 watts of our own power in 2022)
- creating a native plant garden that attracts native bees, butterflies, and birds
- we received 192,328 pounds of supplies in 2022; almost all of those supplies would have ended up in local landfills. We properly recycled 4,429 pounds of materials (paper, cardboard, metal). Only 4.9% of the supplies we received as donated items were not repurposed.
- We are grateful to have received an “Honorable Mention” from the Environmental Initiative Awards in their large-scale sustainability impacts category in 2021!
- Article in Midway Como Frogtown Monitor: “Non-profit sends medical supplies to Bolivia – and shares surplus at home. Mano a Mano keeps medical supplies out of landfills”